New Delhi: Pakistan has struck off one group from its list of ‘terrorists’: kite-flyers. In mid-2000s, then-Pervez Musharraf government banned the spring festival Basant, following several deaths caused by kite strings. Shortly after, it passed a decree that anyone flying or selling kites, including teenagers, would be charged under anti-terrorism laws. Now, the festival is back, and so is the politics of narrative.
Some call it a carefully timed distraction from economic and political strain, while others view it as Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz’s Pakistani version of Marie Antoinette’s “let them eat cake”.
But Lahore is ecstatic. From 6 to 8 February, the Walled City will celebrate its ancient festival under strict regulations.
While the total number of kite string-related deaths remains unclear, the last reported incident occurred in October 2025, when a young motorcyclist died after a kite string slit his throat. Critics blamed the death on the government’s proposal to lift the ban, alleging that it brought deadly strings back into the skies.
Now, as the city’s skies fill with kites, the ground has opened up to familiar faultlines: ‘Lahore vs Karachi’, ‘Punjabi vs non-Punjabi’, and PTI vs PML-N.
Yet, overjoyed Lahoris are cashing in, renting out rooftop rooms for lakhs. Across social media, Pakistanis are discussing the renaissance of their favourite festival, once a symbol of Lahore’s syncretism.
For Gen Z, the vibe is “unmatched”. In the past three days, kite enthusiasts in Lahore have spent more than PKR 54 crore on kites and string, according to the Lahore Kite Association. More than 5 lakh kites were sold in markets across the city on Wednesday.
I am from a generation where speaking Punjabi or owning our culture was seen as “paindu” or "backward". Seeing a prestigious place like Kinnaird College celebrate Punjabi culture with such zeal gives me goosebumps.
Gen Z di jay howy! 💚pic.twitter.com/hzKbDAITB9
— Nouman Warraich, PhD (@NkWarraich) February 5, 2026
“Millennials have discovered their calling: explaining Basant to GenZ. Finally our moment,” journalist Benazir Shah posted on X.
Maryam Nawaz has endorsed the celebrations. She announced free travel on over 400 buses and rickshaws, and said that more than 7 lakh motorcycles have been fitted with protective rods.
In her latest video, Nawaz shared how Lahoris look forward to Basant. While the Punjab government is hosting a festival on 6 Festival and has released a song for it, she suggested the real reason lies closer home—her father, Nawaz Sharif, who is a Lahori.
Kites and chaos
As Lahore gets ready to witness the revival of its long-forgotten legacy, one particular group is the happiest: kite traders. Sales have gone through the roof, with customers paying upwards of PKR 2,000.
Faisal Altaf, the General Secretary of the Lahore Kite Association, told ThePrint that he had to shut his shop because of the craze.
“I had nothing left to sell. Kites were sold out within half an hour. Some kids climbed on the top of my shop and even broke the glass counter. I have never seen such a craze, but it is also good for business,” he said.
Kites ready, Sky ready, Heart ready.
Lahore didn’t forget how to celebrate Basant, we just waited for the right wind. 🪁☀️#LahoreBasant pic.twitter.com/Sq15rjGTeS
— ᏚᎻᎧᎪᏆᏴ (@ShoaibT30) February 5, 2026
Altaf’s father opened the kite shop in Lahore’s Mochi Bazar in 1988. After the Supreme Court banned the Basant festival, his family shifted to confectionery. Now, he is back to selling kites for a week.
“The only time the ban was lifted for a day was when Salman Taseer was the governor of Punjab in 2010. Now Maryam Nawaz has lifted it for a week. I can tell you, the demand (for kites) will not be fulfilled. Barely 30 per cent, perhaps. This craze is unprecedented because for many children, this is the first time”.
The excitement is palpable in his voice.
“Main aapko bata nahin sakta kya mahaul hai yahan (I cannot explain what the atmosphere here is),” he said in Urdu.
Zeeshan Hussain, creator of Baalwaala, Pakistan’s first YouTube channel dedicated to Lahori culture, told ThePrint that Basant was Nawaz Sharif’s favourite festival. After he returned to Pakistan, Sharif called Hussain and discussed plans for its revival.
“He told me he missed the festival and had memories of it, but was insecure because of the deaths,” Hussain said.
Hussain remembers that schools used to be shut during the festival. Families would gather and fly kites from morning to night. Many from India would also come to take part in Lahore’s festivities.
“Of course, it has come from the Basant Panchami celebrations in India, but Lahore did not typecast it—Lahore soaked it in. There would be dance, music and kite flying competitions,” he said. It was a celebration of joy that represented Lahore.
“Children and even women would fly kites for days. We’d jokingly say that the eyes have turned upside down flying kites,” he added.
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Politics of Basant
It is Sharif’s daughter who has led the revival of Basant. But the move has also met resistance from certain quarters.
PTI members call it a case of distraction. “Give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt,” Pakistani journalist Ammara Ahmed wrote on X.
The internet is divided. Many have labelled it a vote-bank tactic to reclaim Lahore—a constituency they claim Sharif lost. “They’re doing all this because convicted felon Nawaz Sharif lost in Lahore, they want Lahore back at any cost,” wrote Pakistani journalist Waqar.
The fact remains that Sharif won the Lahore constituency in 2024 by 59,000 votes.
Others have decided PTI is now irrelevant and Basant will be the final nail in the coffin.
“PTI is making a huge mistake by being seen as anti-Basant.People like Basant, just because N league is bringing doesn’t mean PTI should oppose it. If tomorrow Nawaz Sharif says mangoes are a tasty fruit, will you start barking against mangoes also?”, X user Thucydides wrote.
“Imran was insufferably preachy… good to see Maryam embrace fun”, wrote former Dawn editor Cyril Almeida.
But Lahoris have taken offence to all of this. They are reclaiming Basant beyond its politics.
“The renewed excitement around Basant in Lahore is deeply telling. Years of turbulence and uncertainty had drained public spaces of joy and celebration. The return of Basant it seems is about a people rediscovering hope, reclaiming tradition and searching for moments of happiness after a long, difficult decade,” economist Najam Ali wrote on X.
Others joined in.
“I was driving around Lahore and the city has a different vibe all of a sudden. People are ready to celebrate something which has been long missing. Remember, this country has been through a lot. People deserve happiness for a change. Praying that it’s a safe event for all of us,” a user named Affan added.
Then there were the salty Karachiites, jealous of Lahoris getting everything.
“Lahoris getting basant, book fair, llf, long weekend, free public transport, the onset of spring, and good governance all at once while we deal with our second market fire in the last 10 days, summer-like heat, and general filth,” X user Agha wrote.
When someone called the festival “backward”, many came to its defence. Pakistani businessperson Bushra Rehman noted that the festival is celebrated across classes.
“I was on a flight to Lahore yesterday, and nearly half the passengers were Sikhs and overseas visitors who had come specifically to celebrate Basant… Basant is the love letter Lahore wrote to herself and forgot to post.”
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)